Horror Hotel

A more than good b/w horror movie, based on witchcraft and satanism, with a very good cast and definitely a correct atmosphere. A young collegial goes to a small Massachussets town and find a coven of three hundred years old Satan worshippers. Maybe a little dated, but still more than watchable.

The City of the Dead is a British made horror starring industry legend Christopher Lee.

It tells the story of a student studying witchcraft who decides to go to a sleepy town drenched in rich occult history. There she finds more than she could have ever expected.

The movie is years ahead of it's time, it looks great, it plays out perfectly and I walked away considerably more satisified than I expected.

It almost felt like a Hammer Horror except without any of the goofiness, in fact the film is really quite merciless by comparison and would have heavily stood out back in 1960.

A very enjoyable effort for all horror fans.

The Good:

Looks great

Very dark for its day

Perfectly paced

The Bad:

Ending is weaker than the rest

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

It's best to invite someone into your home after they're already in

Witches though bulletproof are vunerable to guns actually being thrown at them

Strangers rarely come to Whitewood...and for good reason. For it's inhabited with witches and warlocks...and Christopher Lee! He's absolutely menacing in his role of Professor Driscoll. Horror Hotel (aka: The City of the Dead) is a just an old fashioned horror story, it's even kind of creepy. I think this one is all about the atmosphere; a dark and rickety hotel located in an aging New England town that boasts an excellent use of fog that would make John Carpenter envious. It's something to be seen. Horror Hotel is slightly dated, but not too shabby. After all, "the basis of reality is fairy tales, and the basis of fairy tales is reality"

A true masterpiece and a perfect example of how imagination and desire can overcome a small budget in film making! "Horror Hotel", aka, "City Of The Dead" is one of my all-time favorite horror classics. Beautiful black and white photography, a stock pile of atmosphere, a literate script, terrific acting and chills galore! I have seen this gem many times, first when I was very young and caught it on the Late Show. It has had an effect on me everytime I see it. The plot seems familiar I am sure, a witches cult is operating in a small New England town but there is much more then that! From Christopher Lee to the chilling witch hunt and stake burning of the opening to the climatic battle with the coven in the graveyard. Outstanding! Mist and fog drown this small town and what strikes me most is that this entire production was studio bound!!! no location shooting, all done in a studio and it comes off without a hitch! I happen to have a copy of this film on video that I cherish. It's not a newly remastered, pristine copy. It's a copy that seems to have been copied from a television broadcast and I love it! It looks grainy, old, had pieces of hair and dirt on it and I wouldn't trade it for the world. It brings back great memories of films shown when I was young in the 60's and 70's and adds an extra dose of charm and atmosphere to the film. A true classic and one I highly recommend!

'Horror Hotel' (sadly the copy I bought has this tacky title, which is the only thing I can fault about it) really surprised me at just how creepy and atmospheric it was. I was expecting some camp fun, but it is actually a very effective and inventive movie for such a cheap effort. The story sucks you in, and the acting for the most part is above average. Christopher Lee is billed as the star, which isn't exactly true, but he is excellent in his scenes, and Patricia Jessel is even better in a very enjoyable duel role. I also admire how director John Moxey (his movie debut. He also went on to make 'Circus Of Fear') was able to conjure up a spooky New England town with basically just a few sets and some fog. A great example of imaginative low budget horror movie making at its best! Highly recommended to fans of 'Carnival Of Souls', and 'Black Sunday'. 'Horror Hotel' isn't a great an achievement as either, but it shares some similarities in style and feel. This is one extremely underrated movie!